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April 9th,2025 - Using Data Analytics to Discover Fraud in Food and Beverage Comps and Understanding and Investigating Internal Fraud - Virtual Training

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TCCCFE Quarterly Training "Using Data Analytics to Discover Fraud in Food and Beverage Comps and Understanding and Investigating Internal Fraud"

Virtual Training April 9th,2025, 8:30am CST to 11:30am CST - 3 CPE

 

 

8:30am CST – 9:45am CST Using Data Analytics to Discover Fraud in Food and Beverage Comps with Mark Yingling, CPA,CIA,CFE

Speaker Topic: Using Data Analytics to Discover Fraud in Food and Beverage Comps

Food and Beverage complimentaries are a great tool to ensure a patron remains at or returns to your establishment to gamble; however, without appropriate established controls, the costs can outweigh the benefits.  Mark will discuss the importance of utilizing data analytics to review food and beverage comping trends and share experience and tips on investigating possible fraudulent transactions.

Learning objectives:
  •        How to obtain buy-in (from Senior Management, Food and Beverage, and Surveillance) to implement Food and Beverage Fraud procedures
  •        Understand the Point of Sale System roles and permission and how they can prevent/deter abuse of comps
  •         Understand methods Food and Beverage personnel utilize to misuse comps
  •        Identify baselines to be utilized in the development of fraud scripts
  •        Understand the methods to investigate suspicious transactions (Surveillance/Secret Shopper)

Mark Yingling is the Vice President of Internal Audit at Hard Rock International, Inc. (HRI).    HRI is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in over 70 countries spanning 265 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Casinos, Hotels, Rock Shops®, Live Performance Venues, and Cafes. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook, and internet gaming platform. From his home office in Las Vegas, Nevada, Mark leads the Internal Audit function for the company.

Mark spent thirteen (13) years in public accounting (between Deloitte and Ernst & Young), where he specialized in Casino and Hospitality clients with a focus on Native American Gaming entities.  He joined the private sector of the gaming industry as the Director of Finance and Accounting for the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas before returning to the audit world as a Director of Internal Audit for Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. and Penn Entertainment, Inc.

Mark is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He graduated from Niagara University in Niagara Falls, New York, with a bachelor's degree in Accounting.  Outside of work, Mark is an avid hockey fan and enjoys hiking in Red Rock Canyon and Mount Charleston.

10:00 am – 11:30 am - Understanding and Investigating Internal Fraud with Robert “Jerry” DeFatta, CFE, BAI, CRT.

Speaker Topic: Understanding and Investigating Internal Fraud
This presentation is designed to provide professional investigators and auditors with the knowledge that is essential in understanding internal fraud. We will review common areas in a business where theft most often occurs, and the methods used to commit these crimes. Classic and innovative theories in criminology will be examined as they relate to the topic of employee theft and fraud. We will review commons indicators of internal fraud and methods used by employees to commit fraud within a business.
 
During this training session we will also discuss investigative techniques used to uncover fraud and the advantages of adding preventive investigations to a business’s current fraud prevention program. We will look at common types of internal fraud that can be identified by preventive investigations and see samples of successful investigations. We will explore cases where internal theft was quickly identified by using such investigation techniques.

Learning Objectives: 

  •         A better understanding of how and why employee theft occurs and how it impacts a business.
  •         Information on what type of employee commits thefts and ways to identify thefts when they have occurred.
  •         Common areas within a business where fraud can be found and the types of fraud an investigator may uncover in these areas.
  •         Pro-active investigative techniques which are proven to reduce internal fraud and reduce losses by identifying thefts more quickly.

Robert “Jerry” DeFatta, CFE, BAI, CRT. has over twenty-five years of experience as a professional working in corporate security and investigations. He is a Certified Fraud Examiner and a Board Accredited Investigator with extensive training and experience in conducting internal theft and fraud investigations. He is also certified in the Reid Technique of Interview and Interrogation. Prior to leaving the casino industry, he worked for over 10 years as a Senior Security Investigator for one of the largest gaming companies in Louisiana. In 1997, Jerry became licensed as a private investigator and founded DeFatta & Associates, LLC. Since that time, he has continued to conduct internal theft and fraud related investigations for a variety of corporate clients. Jerry is also an experienced instructor who has conducted training in investigative techniques, fraud prevention, deception detection, and private investigations throughout the country. Jerry is approved by the Louisiana State Board of

Private Investigator Examiners as private investigator instructor and his training courses have been approved as Continuing Education for private investigators, auditors, and others. He has authored articles on the topic of employee theft and his work has been published in Security Management and PI Magazine.